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Depakote for migraines
- Thread starter Emily
- Start date
Hello Emily, this is a medication that if FDA approved for migraine prophylaxis so I would say that since you have migraines, your doctor tries to give you the right medication for this condition. also, I do not think that it is going to cause your weight gain, in fact, perhaps it is going to have the opposite effect of losing weight (this is why I doubt that this medication is given to anorexic people). however, this does not mean that you are going to lose weight, nor that you are going to gain weight. in fact, both of them can happen, or none of them. let me explain. everybody, of course, is different, which means that you can't know how you would react to a specific drug unless you take it and that is why you might lose or you might gain weight. however, even so I can tell you that some of the bigger (common) side effects of the medication is that it gives GI nausea etc. and having that said, I personally would be pretty much surprised to see if it caused weight gain to you, but then again, people do react in different ways to the same medications which means that weight gain is still possible, I would just say that it has fewer chances to occur. I really hope a lot that this is going to help you a bit. best wishes to you.
in fact, this medication really can have the weight gain effect on you, at least it did cause me to gain a lot of weight so I can tell you from personal experience that the medication Depakote can make you gain weight. be aware. I would say that if you don't want to gain weight then you might try it but carefully watch out if you start gaining weight and if you do then just stop with it and that's it. maybe this is going to be helpful.
oh yeah, I do agree with the poster above as I can also tell you from my personal experience that it makes you gain weight or at least it has such kind of properties. it has caused me to gain approximately 40 pounds in only 2 or 3 months and I remember that during the time that I have been on it, I have always wanted to sleep, all the time, continuously, I was bed bound.
as a solution to this I can tell you the following: topamax 50 mg that it used a night (this way you would avoid the side effects) or gabapentin or a low dosage of the gabapentin (which is 400 mg taken 2 times a day = a total of 800 mg a day) with a 2.5 mg of the flexeril (which is a muscle relaxer) a day has worked just fine for me giving me the desired results. hope this is going to be helpful to you. best wishes.
I'm sorry but I really want to ask you… isn't depakote an antipsychotic?? at least that's what I know about it. I never used depakote itself, however I did have had some experience with that class of drugs when I have used to be addicted PCP. back then they were forced on me and I do remember how big of a torture they were. but anyway, I am in absolute no way a doctor and that is why, please, just try to listen to your doctor since they are professionals and they are licensed to help people with problems like yours. sometimes you might think that they are wrong or maybe sometimes they can even make mistakes (mostly because everybody is different reacting in different ways to same drugs) but still they can help. just remember that everyone is different as this is very important and I honestly think that this is going to be the best way for you to do as your doctor says as he wants to help and he knows how to do it. however, for me, they have been a hellish torture, but then again, for me personally, maybe for somebody else this is different. anyway, in my humble and super subjective opinion (I know) they, IMO, should be reserved for some really mentally ill people like for example to those people who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and so on and so forth.
I should say that even now, even nearly 30 years later, I shudder at the memory… I am not very sure but I have heard that they are using them in the nursing homes in order to try to keep the patients being quite… I really hope that that is my fate…
hey there guys, thank you each one of your extremely much for all of your answers, I appreciate it a lot. yeah, I have discussed it over with our psych (he's not only taking care about me, but he also manages my son's special needs and I can tell you that he, I think, runs a really great family practice) and he told me the way it is and said that indeed I would gain weight (or most likely I would) and that's especially after I have had a trail of the Elavil which has also caused me to gain weight (which I guess, that's why I was so concerned) but in the end I still got the answer that most likely I would… unfortunately. with my dear husband being unemployed at the moment, I really think that I do not want to spend any extra money on my clothes now. again, thanks!
Loving Elizabeth
New member
hi Emily, I can't be sure but reading your posts it really does sounds to me like you already have reached at your decision, no? anyway, not sure if it's worth for anything at all or not but I hope it is so I just thought that it would be nice if I would give you my opinion and experience here hoping it's gonna be helpful. my older daughter (that is now in her mid 20s) is suffering from migraines, unfortunately, and she, of course, discussed about this and addressed this problem to not only one doctor and, of course, has tried lots of drugs and medications for it, in fact, she has tried just about everything that she could find for the migraines. her migraines has firstly started to show up at an very early age, she has been about 8 years old when her migraines started, that was the age when she firstly started to complain on headaches. no need to mention that we tried anything that we could for her to get rid of her pains. we have went to every doctor that we could find/ hear of for several years in order to find at least something to help her out (since everything was for no avail). she had (and unfortunately she still has) migraines several times per week.
of course, depakote was one of those very much medications she tried for it. the pediatric neuro was the one who gave her depakote. my dd has been on that medication for one month and at the end of that month she has been nearly catatonic (which, for those who doesn't know, is a syndrome near like of schizophrenia). she was not able to walk and not to mention about running - she just looked spastic. her coordination has been off in an extremely terrible way. no need to mention about her concentration that was 0, she has been falling asleep in class (often) and she has also been gaining weight too. but, the problem is that on the top of it all, her migraines were still present so everything that she got from using that medication depakote was a bunch of side effects and no help for migraines. needless to mention that after that month we got her off depakote and never tried it. specifically talking about this medication I can tell you that maybe it is not a bad drug, but it is a bad drug specifically for my daughter as she had a bad experience with it. that's why I cannot recommend it, but I can't stop you from using it, maybe just to give it a try. nothing more.
well, then later our GP has finally said that we should try one medication and prescribed it to our dd, an on set medication that is called naratriptan. he didn't rx'd it right after she tried depakote, we still have went through a several other medications that didn’t provided a good result until she has been given naratriptan (which, during that time, I nearly lost my hope in any medication). thankfully this drug worked, it worked like none other that she previously has been on. this med has given her her life back!
since then she's on naratriptan and she just keeps on taking it successfully. she has used this medication for more than 15 years now and most likely she is going to use it for her entire life, unfortunately, but that's better than suffering from those unbearable migraines. nowadays we are very and very rarely having a conversation or remembering about her migraines - that's how well the medication is working for her. it is only taking 15 minutes for her to kick in and to do the job it is supposed to. she's really benefitting from it making her much more happy (and therefore, making us all happy) and she is having no side effects at all and it just keeps on moving through her day whenever she needs it. what I am trying to say is that you really need to try out this medication naratriptan. it is really worth it! and yeah, I am quite sure that you already have tried the onset rx (so my dd did before she has been given naratriptan) however this medication specifically naratriptan really does not seem to be really much prescribed, that's why I doubt that you tried out this med and I have to say that I doubt it is not going to help you (even though I do know that everybody is different reacting differently to drugs). as she had grown up, of course, she has went to a bunch of other doctors and all of them always seem to want her to try a daily preventative, however she is always holding strong to this naratriptan due to the fact that it is working so well (and due to the fact that no preventative ever helped her). what I try to say is that my dd went through all of this having no medication that helps her with her migraines but naratriptan so I think that trying it out might be a really good idea (oh yeah, and she isn't gaining weight on this med, if she would then it all these 15 years and more just imagine how she would look like).
and yeah, trust me, I am very sorry that you are suffering from all of this and I do know what you're going through as I have daily been there for my dd and I watched her going through all of this. plus, I had migraines either (my dd, most likely, got them from me, but they weren't as bad she hers), but I have had a hysterectomy done 3 years ago and since then I have not had a migraine since… obviously my dd is also considering now hysterectomy when the time would come. depending on your age, maybe considering hysterectomy is a good idea for you too. I wish you good luck in finding something that is going to work for you (regardless if it's naratriptan or anything else, I just recommended something that we do know it works well!)
um… well, my husband has lost his job and I have told him that I was not about to buy myself any new clothes. my psych now really does not like the fact that I am being now on triptans and that's mostly due to the fact that I am currently taking prozac (he is worried about the serotonin syndrome which can occur), however I do sneak a Maxalt as well as Cambia is wonderful, it is just that the neuro is being worried about some rebound headaches that can occur. ohh.
Loving Elizabeth
New member
oh yeah, I do know what you are talking about, that would be something that I have not ever had to be worried with my daughter about, to mix the prescriptions it is all that she is using and also, I have used to get one or maybe 2 from her either back in the days and it is like a miracle how fast it has been working (and is still working for my dd). as I said, no more than 15 minutes and it already kicked in. I can tell you that back in the days we have visited a neuro who has told her that she just needs to stop being such an overachiever and this way her migraines are going to stop! he has been refusing to prescribe any kind of the triptans and he has also added that she would not ever be able to find absolutely anything else if she had the triptans! I mean…. sometimes I had the impression that they have no idea what they are talking about even if they are doctors… that's really nice… should I mention that we have never went back to him and thanks to go never met him? but I do know that this still happen to people even nowadays and that's… at least sad.
hey Loving Elizabeth, you are definitely right on that, on this part:
</p><p> </p><p>or at least, I personally seem to find more and more doctors to be some real jerks and having the god - aura and that's what is killing me in them. when I see a super proud doctor having the god mania I can't stand them. I guess it is because I have to deal with them more and more and that's why I find more and more. the point being that there are a lot like this.</p><p> </p><p>also, DanyEL, regarding some part:</p><p> </p><p>I mean…. sometimes I had the impression that they have no idea what they are talking about even if they are doctors… that's really nice… should I mention that we have never went back to him and thanks to go never met him? but I do know that this still happen to people even nowadays and that's… at least sad.
</p><p> </p><p>you are wrong here because that's not like that and it is not an antipsychotic who needs to be given to people suffering from severe cases of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. it is, in fact, an anti seizure medication.</p>I'm sorry but I really want to ask you… isn't depakote an antipsychotic?? at least that's what I know about it. anyway, in my humble and super subjective opinion (I know) they, IMO, should be reserved for some really mentally ill people like for example to those people who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and so on and so forth.
SamuelStumpyoyo
New member
hey there guys, I am not suffering from migraines so I have never tried depakote and none of the other migraine drugs. however, my sister who is suffering from bi polar disorder did used depakote and answering the OPs question I can tell you that she indeed gained weight. also wanted to ask… have you tried topamax?
well, I used topamax for my migraine headaches and it did not helped me, nor it did stop my occipital breakthrough pain either (which is cervical cephalgia). I really did not liked because despite not helping me, it also made me became emotionally despaired in the time I have been using a low dosage of the topamax. of course I have stopped from using it and I have changed prevention medication to the tricyclic antidepressants, however I still get one or maybe 2 vascular types of headaches, but at least it is better than how it used to be. I did have tried the anti seizure medications however, they have never worked with me and I guess that's just the type of the person that I am. besides, I have also given depakote one trial run as well of 5 months (back in 2005 or 2006) and this didn't helped me either as it didn't stopped anything as well… I honestly have no idea why a neurologist would hesitate to prescribe DHE nose spray or Sumitriptan nose spray for a youngester like I was then. topamax has been a true poison for me that I couldn't stand taking, exactly as Depakote was for me. none of them has worked in stopping my cervical breakthrough pain from occurring and both of them gave me side effects that I was barely able to deal with.
also , Odell, how strange that underwriting for life insurance, long term care insurance or disability insurance would not be considered Topamax's FDA "approved" use for the migraine prevention prescription. The Topamax's PDR patient write up as well as physician/ clinician write up is stating that it is for migraine prevention use (and not only the seizure prevention alone). I also remember that there's an FDA press announcement which was published anywhere in early 2014 regarding the Topamax prescription that is used in adolescents that are in the age between 12 and 17 years old. (I'm going to try find that article, but so far I am just going to tell you what I remember of what was written in there).
anywhere between 10-15 % of the entire US population is experiencing migraine headaches. Those migraine headaches are being known as some episodes of throbbing as well as pulsating pain in the head and this is known that it can occur several times per month. there are also other symptoms as well and the most common ones are including: nausea, vomiting as well as increased sensitivity to light, odors and noise. a lot of the patients having migraines are experiencing their first migraine attack before they are reaching their adulthood and the migraines can be exactly as disabling as in teens exactly as it can be (and it is) in the adults as well.
the safety as well as the effectiveness of this drug Topamax in preventing the migraine headaches in the adolescents that are ages between 12 and 17 years old has been established by a clinical trial that has enrolled approximately 100 participants or maybe a little bit more (I can't remember the exact number, I just remember that it was more than 100). so, those people who got treated with Topamax have experienced a really good decrease in their frequency of migraines of approximately 70 or more percent which is nearly double the percent of the participants that has taken an inactive drug (a placebo effect). I remember that for Topamax was more than 70 % and for placebo was more than 40 % and that's a good sign that topamax is indeed effective.
regarding the side effect of this medication I can tell you that I remember they saying that the most common side effects reactions with the approved dosage of the Topamax (which is by the way 100 milligrams) were upper respiratory infection, paresthesia (which is a burning or a prickling sensation that it is felt in the arms, hands, feet or legs), abdominal pain and anorexia (the loss of appetite).
and also, topamax must be dispensed with a medication guide that is describing some very important safety information about the drug. it is also important to know that topamax as well as all of the other anti epileptic drugs may increase the risk of the suicidal thoughts as well as behavior and I remember their warning on the fact that patients need to be advised of the need to be alert for the emergence of, or worsening of, those signs as well as symptoms of depression or any other unusual changes in mood or behavior which might occur with the use of Topamax and which might be dangerous. I am hoping that this is going to help someone out there.
Loving Elizabeth
New member
Cournine, right? that is what I am talking about. I do know it. he has been happy to prescribe something that she had to ingest every single day, some of those that he has tried her on has been in need to use them multiple times per day, but still, even so, he was still having some kind of an unexplained problem with an on set only medication that he didn't wanted to prescribe?! but yeah, we still have eventually ended up with him due to the fact that we were interesting in trying botox. back in those days (about 10 years ago or maybe even more) we have been required a neuro referral for botox and no other way. but he would not give the referral that we needed. instead of that he only gave her some kind of an lecture on the thing that she has been only an over achiever and that all of this is going to end up quite bad and miserable but that's only unless she has learned to let ""it"" go. talk about somebody out of the loop and by my way of thinking he has been putting all of the blame absolutely only on her. I remember very well that her migraines has started on the exact same age as it did mine and that's because I was afraid then for her not to start having them, but she did. it was the age of 8, for both of us and not only because I discussed with my mother about it and she said that her migraines started at the same age (8) as well as it did for my grandmother. now, unfortunately, we're all quite sure that my grand daughter would have migraines and would start at the age of 8, even though I'm still hoping very much that it won't happen. but my daughter is now 26 years old and she is living a really beautiful life, she's very successful and I'm very proud of this and driven (no shock!) and is never really suffering from migraines because of the on set medication. I find it really interesting the fact that my mother's migraines has stopped as soon to was all of the way through the menopausal cycles and I have never - or I have not I guess I should say - had any migraine problem since I have I had my complete hysterectomy. currently her physician is writing her prescription for one year at a time, written in order to include enough to cover just one tablet of nara triptan per day. she is not taking only one a day, however it really gives her the peace of her mind and is keeping her out of the physician's office as well and plus I'm now here in just jabbering she has had one pretty funny situation not a really long time ago. that pharmacy that she is usually using is only a compounding pharmacy and those people working there have been really good to her for as long as she's been there. also, they are always keeping one extra box in their stock so in this way they just make sure that she won't ever be left without it when she needs it. they are only open for some very few hours per day (I guess that it must be a ton of money in compounds) and in case she is not able to make it there then the owner is such a great and good man that he makes sure that it will bring it to her (because he does know very well how much she needs it and also he knows that it is hard sometimes to get to their few open hours). but anyway, now, just a couple of weeks ago the owner has told her that he is having an compound cream that he would want her to try out and see how it works, plus this is going to allow her to take a ""break"" from the nara triptan which surely won't hurt her.
so, since my daughter wanted to know what's that exactly and what she might expect from using it and that's why my daughter has asked him to fax it to her physician so he would take a look at it. she was waiting for the results and soon after that the doctor herself have called my daughter and has asked her: you was that one who has requested this cream? but my doctor has explained how she got the idea of getting that cream and who recommended. then the doc just started to laugh and has added: this cream is only a concoction of some narcotics plus an anti seizure medication and so, that’s why my daughter has declined to use that cream and haven't used it. just strange to me. not sure. anyway, the thing is that I just hope that this story is going to help anybody out there, maybe it would help someone else too..
estebanito
New member
well, hi there, I was on the Depakote medication for more than just one year and I still did not gained much weight. I mean, I have not really weight myself so I can't say how much lbs I had before taking it and how many of them I had after taking it for a year, but I have not noticed to get bigger and I have not noticed my clothes to get tighter or whatever else in this matter. so I wouldn't say that weight gain is an issue with Depakote, however, even so I would still not recommend you people to try this medication because of all of the other side effects that it has that to me seems to be more dangerous than weight gain. if talking about its effectiveness and how well it works I can say that initially I did have noticed that it worked, I mean, at least it seemed so, however after a while of taking it I am sure that it has stopped from working. of course I have complained about this to my doctor and he thought that if it was useful but then it stopped from working then it is the dosage kind of thing which means that if I would take a bigger dosage then my problems would go away and that's what he has done - increased my dosage, but instead of making things any better (making it more useful or whatever else) it was only making things worse for me, making me feel worse and worse. the doctor then required a blood test and after some several blood tests it has turned out that the medication levels found in my blood were toxic and this was pretty much explaining the things as to why my things were getting worse and so, needless to say I stopped using it and I have got on another medication. so anyway, just in case my doctor would suggest me to try this medication once again then I would really try to persuade him not to, and I am quite sure that I'm gonna try whatever just not to take it again. but anyway, then again, I am only saying what I say based on my personal experience with the medication. this just means that this is what I've experienced myself, it definitely does not mean that your reaction would be the same. it might or it might not, you've got to try it yourself to know for sure.